Make Sure The Right Questions Are Asked.

It’s important for patients to ask questions, or perhaps have a close family member or friend ask questions on his or her behalf. The most important thing a patient and their family can do is to ask for the information they will need, so that they can make an informed decision that is best for the patient. Consider these questions before finalizing the patient’s treatment plan:

Exactly what type of lung cancer do I have?

How do I get a copy of my pathology report?

Where is the cancer located?

Has the cancer spread beyond where it started?

What is the cancer’s stage? What does that mean?

Are there other doctors I need to see?

How much experience do you have treating this type of cancer, administering this course of treatment?

What are my treatment choices? How does my type of cancer, stage of cancer affect my treatment options?

Will I need any additional tests before we can decide on a treatment?

Patients can ask both their physician and themselves: What is the goal of the suggested treatment options? Is it to seek a cure; to stabilize the lung cancer; or to be palliative or manage symptoms?

Why are you recommending this treatment?

Will I have more than one type of treatment?

Will the treatments be administered in combination with each other or in what order?

How long will treatment last?

Where will treatment be done?

What are the potential risks and benefits of each treatment? How long are they likely to last?

Will I lose my hair? If so, what can I do about it?

How should I get ready for treatment?

What are the expected benefits of each type of treatment?

How will treatment affect my normal activities and daily life?

If surgery is recommended, what is the approach and how long is the expected recovery period?

If I need to have surgery, how will I manage if I’m missing a lung, or part of one?

What can we do to control the side effects of treatment?

Are there palliative treatments available to control pain or shortness of breath?

Are there other treatment options available?

Are there any clinical trials available?

What can I do to prepare for treatment?

Will I need to be hospitalized? If so, for how long?

What is the cost of treatment? Will my insurance cover the cost?

How long do I have before I need to start treatment? And is there time to seek a 2nd opinion or to think about my treatment options?

If the patient is of child-bearing years, what impact will treatment have on the patient’s ability to have biological children? What options are there to preserve the patient’s ability to bear or father children?

If the patient is an active smoker, how will smoking impact the effectiveness of treatment and what support is available to stop smoking? What are my chances of long-term survival?

How often will I be required have special tests or scans to monitor my health after treatment?

What are the chances of the cancer coming back after treatment? What would we do if that happens?

What will we do if the treatment doesn’t work or if the cancer comes back?

Stand Up To Cancer is grateful for content found on these organization Websites: American Cancer Society; Addario Lung Cancer Foundation; Free to Breathe ; Lung Cancer Alliance; Lung Cancer Foundation of America and LUNGevity. The content appearing on this Website is provided for informational purposes only. NOTHING CONTAINED ON THIS WEBSITE IS INTENDED TO BE FOR MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT OF ANY ILLNESS, CONDITION OR DISEASE. INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON FOR PERSONAL OR MEDICAL DECISIONS OF ANY KIND. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF YOUR PHYSICIAN OR OTHER QUALIFIED HEALTHCARE PROVIDER REGARDING ANY HEALTHCARE QUESTIONS. RELIANCE ON ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED THROUGH THIS WEBSITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. SU2C raises funds to acceleratethe pace of research that will get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now. In this new public service announcement (PSA), which is supportedby a charitable donation from Bristol-Myers Squibb, SU2C is helping to increase national awareness about one of the deadliest cancers, lung cancer.